Pakistan will 'not sign' Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as its atomic capability is very much essential to maintain strategic balance of power in South Asia, the Foreign Office has said.

"Nuclear deterrence capability is an integral part of Pakistan's security and, therefore, it can't be compromised upon," the 'Daily Times' reported Monday, quoting Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam as saying here.

Aslam said the statement of Japanese Defence Minister Koike in which she had urged Pakistan to sign the NPT was a desire for the non-proliferation regime, but "Pakistan is not bound to accept the demand".

She said Pakistan had repeatedly asked India to sign the NPT so that Islamabad would follow suit, but New Delhi always gave cold shoulder to such suggestions. "So, we are also not bound to become a signatory."

According to the spokesperson, Pakistan would maintain minimum credible deterrence and that's the main reason for conducting nuclear tests in 1998 immediately after India tested its nuclear bomb.

Aslam, however, supported the views of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief that the NPT regime should be modified to accommodate ground realties, and also proposed some sort of informal interaction between the nuclear powers.